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Friday, 25 December 2009

Health fees soar in row over gap payments – Thousands of private hospital patients are being forced to pay gap fees running into hundreds of dollars because of a dispute over price increases between the big health funds and Australia's largest pathology company – Sydney Morning Herald

Industrial relations

Four-day pay bonanza – A typical tradesman on the desalination project in Wonthaggi is set to earn about $150,000 a year for a four-day week under a deal that has also seen the resolution of a bitter union turf war threatening to delay the project – Melbourne Age

ENVIRONMENT

A way to live with climate change – It is a vision of climate change we never expected. A changing coastline that cuts into the inland of South Australia and brings to life the legend of a giant inland sea. The "deliberately controversial" concept envisions an extended Australian coastline afflicted by climate change and sea-level rises in the year 2100 and aims to spark debate about living with climate change.

MEDIA

Copper out for housing – New homes and commercial developments will have to be fitted with fibre-optic cable connections under draft legislation published by the Federal Government. The legislation applies to all types of new developments, including greenfield (broadacre) estates, urban infill and urban renewal projects from July next year. The new powers aim to complement the national broadband network – Adelaide Advertiser

LIFE

Charity

More families turn to charity this Christmas – More Queensland families, particularly those in drought-hit rural areas, are seeking help this Christmas than previous years, charities say. The Salvation Army and the Australian Red Cross have reported anecdotal increases in the number of families relying on them to put gifts under the Christmas tree this year – Briswbane Courier Mail

Law and order

Graham Stafford murder conviction quashed; to face retrial – A man who served 15 years' jail for the murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl described his ordeal as a nightmare after his conviction was quashed. Graham Stuart Stafford was jailed for life in 1992 after being found guilty in the Queensland Supreme Court of murdering schoolgirl Leanne Holland. But in a decision delivered on Thursday, the Court of Appeal ruled that the conviction be quashed and ordered a retrial – Brisbane Courier Mail

The drink

'Not one' Territorian has a drink problem – Not one Territorian believes they drink too much, a new survey shows. The FebFast survey showed that only 8 per cent of Territorians admitted to binge drinking and not one of the survey participants admitted to drinking too much – Northern Territory News